Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch
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| Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch | |
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| マーメイドメロディーぴちぴちピッチ (Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch) |
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| Genre | Magical girl, Romance, Music, Comedy |
| Manga: Pichi Pichi Pitch: Mermaid Melody | |
| Authored by | Michiko Yokote & Pink Hanamori |
| Publisher | Kodansha |
| Serialized in | Nakayoshi |
| Original run | September 2003 – April 2005 |
| No. of volumes | 7 |
| TV anime : Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch | |
| Directed by | Yoshitaka Fujimoto |
| Studio | We've, Inc. |
| Network |  TV Aichi ETTV Yoyo TVB Jade TV3 |
| Original run | April 5, 2003 – December 25, 2004 |
| No. of episodes | 52 |
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Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch (マーメイドメロディーぴちぴちピッチ māmeido merodī pichi pichi picchi?) is a shōjo manga/anime series created by Michiko Yokote (横手美智子?) with artwork by Pink Hanamori (花森ぴんく Hanamori Pinku?).
The manga was originally published in the monthly shōjo manga anthology Nakayoshi. There are 32 chapters published (including two special stories) and most of them are compiled into seven volumes issued by Kodansha.
The anime series was produced by TV Aichi. The first season of which, composed of 52 episodes, was shown on the TV Tokyo Network from April 5, 2003 to March 27, 2004. A second season, entitled Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch Pure, lasted for 39 episodes and was aired from April 3 to December 25, 2004.
ADV Films acquired the license to the anime on June 2004 for its North American release, but was eventually dropped due to difficulty in finding backers and securing a TV airing deal.[1] Although the anime has not since been re-licensed for an English language distribution, Del Rey Manga acquired the rights to publish the manga for the North American audience. It began releasing the manga on April 2006 under the title Pichi Pichi Pitch: Mermaid Melody.[2]
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[edit] Plot
Lucia, Mermaid Princess of the North Pacific Ocean, sets out to land to find the boy she saved from a shipwreck seven years ago, the boy to whom she entrusted her pink pearl. She eventually found the boy: a surfer named Kaito Dōmoto. But as the human form Lucia assumed, a girl named Lucia Nanami, bears very little resemblance to her mermaid form, Kaito can't recognize her. But she also cannot tell Kaito who she really is; otherwise, according to mermaid folklore, she would turn into foam. So she tries to convince Kaito into figuring out who she really is (since the legend doesn't say anything about the other person discovering a mermaid's true identity by himself).
At the same time, Lucia has been told that a group of sea monsters or suiyō (水妖) have invaded the marine world and she had to gather the six other Mermaid Princesses and their pearls to resurrect the legendary goddess Aqua Regina to stop them. So to fulfill this, she joins forces with Hanon and Rina, both Mermaid Princesses who also came up to dry land, use their pearls, turn into singing idols, and use their voices as an offensive.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Main characters
- Lucia Nanami (七海るちあ Nanami Ruchia?) Voiced by: Asumi Nakata - Mermaid Princess of the North Pacific Ocean, keeper of the pink pearl, and the main character of the story. Lucia goes up to land to search for a boy she saved seven years ago. She is unaware of the danger in the marine world and of her real mission until she is told of them by her "older sister", Nikora. She is characterized by her simplicity and naïveté, but with having a strong will, typical traits of shōjo manga heroines. Her idol form is Pink Pearl Voice. (Many fans in the West still spell her name as Luchia probably because many do not immediately understand the official spelling's Italo-Hispano-like pronunciation. See also note below about Lina's name.)
- Hanon Hōshō (宝生波音 Hōshō Hanon?) Voiced by: Hitomi Terakado - Mermaid Princess of the South Atlantic Ocean and keeper of the aqua (水色, mizuiro) pearl. Unlike Lucia, Hanon goes up to land to escape sea monsters. Hanon is perky and feminine, yet a bit more worldly than her friend Lucia. This worldliness is evidenced by many of her actions--especially by her romantic pursuit of her music teacher. Her idol form is Mizuiro (Aqua) Pearl Voice.
- Rina Tōin (洞院リナ Tōin Rina?) Voiced by: Mayumi Asano - Mermaid Princess of the North Atlantic Ocean and keeper of the green pearl. Initially she is depicted as stern and bent on revenge for the capture of her best friend, Noel. Later, however, she evolves into a more mature character, and acts as an older sister figure to Lucia and Hanon. Her idol form is Green Pearl Voice. (Many fans in the West still spell her name as Lina because of the tendency in the Japanese language to substitute "r" sounds for "l" sounds and vice versa, especially in romanization.)
[edit] Major supporting characters
- Kaito Dōmoto (堂本海斗 Dōmoto Kaito?) Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio - Kaito, the adopted son of a pair of musicians, is an avid surfer, as well as Lucia's love interest. Though he is popular with girls, he is secretly in love with a beautiful mermaid who saved him from a shipwreck seven years ago, and has yet to realize that this mermaid is Lucia. Later in the story, it is discovered that beneath Kaito's human exterior lie some distinctively un-human qualities.
- Hippo (ヒッポ?) Voiced by: Miyako Ito - Lucia's guardian penguin who serves as her guide. Hippo accompanies Lucia in her search for her pink pearl, and is among those who voice disapproval of her relationship with Kaito. He is also polite, always putting -さん, -san after every name, even when angry. Later on, he is able to transform into a very handsome human boy, as well as a creature called Hippocampus.
- Nikora (にこら?) Voiced by: Eri Saito - virtual manager of the "petit-hotel" Pearl Piari (プチホテルパールピアリ puchi-hoteru pāru piari?) on land, where Lucia, Hanon, and Rina work (in the manga, she is the owner of a bath house called Pearl Waters). A mermaid like Lucia, Hanon, and Rina, she poses as Lucia's older sister in order to inform her of her mission.
- Madame Taki (タキさん Taki-san?) Voiced by: Kumi Yamakado - owner of the Pearl Piari. A fairly major character in the anime, she is seen most of the time looking into her crystal ball.
- Tarō Mitsuki/Mizuki (海月太郎 Mitsuki Tarō?) Voiced by: Daisuke Kirii - Lucia's music teacher and Hanon's love interest (she refers to him as 太郎ちゃん, Tarō-chan). He had met a mermaid in the past, and made a piano piece for her, not knowing what happened to her after their last meeting.
- Noel (ノエル Noeru?) Voiced by: Ryoko Nagata - Mermaid Princess of the Arctic Ocean and keeper of the deep blue (i.e. 藍色, aiiro) pearl. She helped Rina escape from the sea monsters, which led to her capture. She is calm, gentle, caring, and studious (as she sometimes wears glasses on land later in the second season of the anime). Her idol form is Aiiro Pearl Voice.
- Caren (かれん Karen?) Voiced by: Ema Kogure - Mermaid Princess of the Antarctic Ocean, keeper of the purple pearl, and twin sister of Noel. In the first season, after winning a beauty contest, Tarou asks her about his mermaid, and she later blames Rina for Noel's kidnapping. Even after things are straightened out, she chooses to go find Noel alone. She is Noel's polar opposite, having a mysterious personality. While she is cold and distant in the first season, she is found to be wild, humorous, and even a bit sexual in the second. Her idol form is Purple Pearl Voice.
- Coco (ココ Koko?) Voiced by: Satomi Arai - Mermaid Princess of the South Pacific Ocean and keeper of the yellow pearl. She is incarcerated by the sea monsters for most of the first season, so not much is known about her. In the manga, however, she is a friend of fellow Mermaid Princess Sara. Later, she found to be playful and gentle in the manga, yet brash and outspoken in the anime. Her idol form is Yellow Pearl Voice.
- Aqua Regina (アクア・レジーナ様 Akua Rejīna-sama?) Voiced by: Kumi Yamakado - the ocean goddess who gives the Mermaid Princesses new songs and upgrades to their gear. She is needed to ultimately stop the sea monsters, which is why the seven pearls have to be gathered. She also later gives bands to the mermaids to upgrade their suits and singing power. Even later, she upgrades their microphones in the end of season one.
[edit] Antagonists
- Gakuto (楽斗/ガクト?) Voiced by: Daisuke Kishio - the leader of the sea monsters who is bent on taking over the marine world. He is always depicted drinking wine, and wearing black. His resemblance to Kaito made the latter a subject of initial ire by Rina. He is known in the anime as Gaito (ガイト). (There is no definite reason for the name change, but one obvious reason is to distinguish him from J-Pop star Gackt, whose name is spelt the same way in katakana. In the Del Rey manga translation, his name is spelled Gackto in order to emphasize the comparison between the character and the singer.)
- The Dark Lovers (ダーク・ラバーズ?) - Gakuto's four female followers who serve him in exchange for his love for them. There are composed of the following:
- Izūru (イズール Izūru?) Voiced by: Sayori Ishizuka - The most mature of the four, she has the power control waves and marine beasts and has the ability to create dragons from water.
- Eriru (エリル?) Voiced by: Yuki Matsuoka - The one with the multiple personality disorder. At one phase, she is cute, and acting as if she were antsy (spinning around and never saying any normal speech). But she becomes scary when threatened and changes her voice accordingly.
- Maria (マリア?) Voiced by: Sanae Kobayashi - The one closest to Gakuto in terms of love. She is also very cruel at times, and sometimes seems to see Gakuto more as a boy-toy than a love prospect. She has the power to make and/or manipulate ice and snow.
- Yūri (ユーリ Yūri?) Voiced by: Chieko Honda - the youngest-looking of the four. She has the ability to control people and objects, especially with the use of her music and, if any, a nearby piano. Although loyal to Gakuto, his continued treatment to her as a child leads her to a star-crossed relationship with Hippo, i.e. his human form.
- Black Beauty Sisters (ブラック・ビューティー・シズターズ?) - composed of the red-wearing older sister SheShe (シスターシェシェ Shisutā Sheshe?, Voiced by: Miki Tsuchiya) and the blue-wearing younger sister MiMi (シスターミミ Shisutā Mimi?, Voiced by: Noriko Shitaya). Gakuto hires them after the Dark Lovers' failed attempts to capture the Mermaid Princesses. These two have the ability to sing tunes more powerful than the songs the Mermaid Princesses themselves sing. Though Gakuto turned them back to their original forms (two angler fishes), they were resurrected in the second season. Their group name is usually shortened by fans to BBS. Many fans think that the name "Black Beauty Sisters" is just a stage name, as MiMi and SheShe seem to be in love, and sister can mean other things that would apply to the two, such as sharing the same origin.
- Sara (沙羅?) Voiced by: Kana Ueda - Mermaid Princess of the Indian Ocean and keeper of the orange pearl. She joins Gakuto in his quest to take over the marine world after an incident bestowed her a dark power, turning both her orange hair and her orange pearl pitch black (though her eyes stay orange) and destroying her own kingdom. That incident was a proposed rendezvous with Tarou in which he never showed up. In a fury, she unleashed a wave of power, destroying her kingdom and causing the wave which killed Kaito's parents and which Lucia saved Kaito from. In the manga, her villain name is Black Pearl Voice and she transforms into an idol in a black dress reminiscent of a diva. However, in the anime, she does not transform until she turns good, and instead has the power to sing offensively in a humanoid, amphibious form like the villains and mermaid idols, but without her E-pitch. In the end, she decides to join the other mermaids as is her duty. When Aqua Regina sends Gaito back to be kept in is palace again, she decides to go with him, as he loves her so much. She also appears in the second season as a spirit, talking about the future Orange Pearl Voice.
[edit] Episode list
See: List of Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch episodes
[edit] Songs
Although Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch is comparable to any shōjo title, the anime's songs are used not only as opening/ending songs, but are also used as battle songs and image songs. Each episode has at least one battle/image song performance.
[edit] Opening and ending themes
[edit] Opening themes
- "Taiyou no Rakuen ~Promised Land~" by Miyuki Kanbe (Episodes 1-28)
Translation: Paradise of the Sun ~Promised Land~ - "Rainbow Notes♪" by Miyuki Kanbe (Episodes 29-52)
[edit] Ending themes
- "Daiji na Takarabako" by Lucia (Asumi Nakata) (Episodes 1-28)
Translation: Important Treasure Box - "Sekai de Ichiban Hayaku Asa ga kuru Basho" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano) (Episodes 29-52)
Translation: The Place Where Morning Comes First
[edit] Mermaid songs
These songs are usually used in battle and as image songs.
- "Legend of Mermaid" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
- "Koi wa Nan Darou" by Lucia (Asumi Nakata)
Translation: Just What is Love? - "Super Love Songs!" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
- "KIZUNA" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
Translation: BONDS - "Yume no Sono Saki he" by Lucia, Hanon, and Rina (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, and Mayumi Asano)
Translation: To the Place After a Dream - "Splash Dream" by Lucia (Asumi Nakata)
- "Ever Blue" by Hanon (Hitomi Terakado)
- "Star Jewel" by Rina (Mayumi Asano)
- "Aurora no Kaze ni Notte" by Caren (Ema Kogure)
Translation: Riding on the Winds of the Aurora - "Return to the Sea" by Sara (Kana Ueda)
- "KODOU ~Perfect Harmony~" by Lucia, Hanon, Rina and Caren (Asumi Nakata, Hitomi Terakado, Mayumi Asano, and Ema Kogure)
Translation: HEARTBEAT ~Perfect Harmony~
[edit] Other songs
- "Kuro no Kyousoukyoku ~concerto~" by the Black Beauty Sisters (Miki Tsuchiya and Noriko Shitaya)
Translation: Concert of Darkness ~concerto~
Sometimes erroneously called "Voice in the Dark" after a repeated (and understandable for english-speaking veiwers) line in the song.
[edit] Video games
Three video games (developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan) were released on Nintendo's Game Boy Advance console during the original run of the anime. All the games featured multiplayer capabilities, but required each player to have his or her own copy of the game in order to play.
- Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch - Inspired by Dance Dance Revolution. This included eight songs from the anime.
- Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch Pichi Pichi Party - A "virtual board game" similar to the Mario Party series.
- Mermaid Melody: Pichi Pichi Pitch Pichi Pichitto Live Start! - Similar to the first Mermaid Melody game. This included fourteen songs from the anime, as well as several mini-games. Although this game (along with the first one) is a Konami-developed music video game, it is not considered part of the Bemani series.
[edit] References
- ^ Mikhail Koulikov, Christopher Macdonald. "Anime Next - A.D. Vision, Inc.", Anime News Network, 2005-06-21. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.
- ^ "Del Rey Manga Acquires Four New Kodansha Titles", Anime News Network, 2005-10-06. Retrieved on 2006-10-15.
[edit] External links
- (Japanese) Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch: Official website of the anime at TV Aichi
- (Japanese) LIPS: Official website of the manga artist, Pink Hanamori
- Live Start!: a very thorough and complete site about the anime, including music/games downloads, images, merchandise information, and much more
- (German) Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch: a German-language resource site mostly about the anime.
- Pearl Song: a site about the manga.
- (French) Mermaid No Concerto: A French-language site about the anime.
- Cosplay Oneesan: A site dedicated to the live action recreation of the anime.
- (Spanish) Scripts and subtitles from the TV series
